autoimmune

Basics of immune balancing for Hashimoto’s

August 30, 2010 in Thyroid Disorders | 16 comments

In the first post in this series, we established that hypothyroidism is caused by an autoimmune disease (called Hashimoto's) in the vast majority of cases. Since then, we've explored the role of gluten intolerance, vitamin D deficiency, supplemental iodine, blood sugar imbalances, adrenal stress and a leaky gut in perpetuating the autoimmune attack and disrupting thyroid function. We've discussed why dietary changes are always the first step in treating Hashimoto's, and why replacement thyroid ...
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The role of vitamin D deficiency in thyroid disorders

August 4, 2010 in Thyroid Disorders | 23 comments

Note: This will be my last post until the end of August. My wife and I are going up to the Sierras to hike and soak in the hot springs for a few days before the big acupuncture licensing exam next Tuesday. The day after that we head to southern Mexico to surf and relax on the beach for a couple of weeks.I won't have time to respond to comments while I'm ...
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The gluten-thyroid connection

July 18, 2010 in Food & Nutrition, Thyroid Disorders | 169 comments

In the first article in this series, I showed that hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disease in 90% of cases. In this article we're going to discuss the connection between autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and gluten intolerance.Several studies show a strong link between AITD (both Hashimoto's and Graves') and gluten intolerance. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] The link is so well-established that researchers suggest all people with AITD be screened for gluten intolerance, and vice ...
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Iodine for hypothyroidism: like gasoline on a fire?

July 5, 2010 in Thyroid Disorders | 70 comments

The fantasy of both conventional and alternative healthcare practitioners is finding a single nutrient to treat hypothyroidism. For doctors, this is thyroid hormone. For alternative practitioners, it is iodine.In the previous article I showed why, when used alone, thyroid hormone replacement often fails. In this post I'll explain why iodine may not only be ineffective, but also cause harm.Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide. ...
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